Thinking out loud
by Confortare
Summary: She is the sunny, full, shiny, warm, stars in the nighttime sky, and he is the ghostly, empty, dark, cold spaces in between. [SASUSAKU ONESHOT]


people

fall

in love

in

mysterious

ways,

maybe

just

the

touch of

a hand.

me,

i fall

in love

with you

every

single

day,

and i

just wanna

tell you

i am.

take me

into your

loving arms.

kiss me

under the light

of a thousand

stars.

place your head

on my beating

heart.

i'm thinking

out loud;

maybe

we

found

love

right

where

we

are.

**.**

**.**

Naruto and her are the only ones that accept him back after his trip of redemption. It takes some time but eventually Kakashi too accepts him back – even goes back to teasing him like the old days.

He doesn't particularly care about Sai, but it feels nice that the ex-root member isn't being more a pain in the ass to him than he is to the rest. If he has to believe the stories, then Sai has always been very strange.

Some people in the village look at him with disgust, anger, fear.

They don't understand, and they will probably never understand because they all live in this perfect little world of theirs where they always survive and where they're always okay because they always get saved.

There's going to come a day when some of them won't be saved and some won't survive and then they will know the pain of losing people you love. You can only understand the pain of losing your loved ones when you've felt it yourself, and if you haven't, you never will.

As much as he sometimes is annoyed by them, he doesn't hate them, because now he understands. That's why he chose to travel the world to redeem himself; to understand. Naruto and Sakura, they never gave up on him and they never will. He feels guilty for having put them through everything they pulled through. But he is glad too, because they made him see the light. They made him better.

**.**

**.**

He visits his family's grave. After the war, Tsunade had Itachi buried next to his family in the Uchiha District.

At first he doesn't know what to say, but as soon as he stands in front of what is left of his family, the words pour out of his mouth.

He tells them about the war, about his trip. He tells them about Naruto and Sakura and Kakashi. He tells them about the little 'welcome back' dinner they prepared for him, with all of Team 7. He tells them how he liked it, and how he's glad that he is back here, home.

He tells them that he loves them, that he misses them, that he's sorry,_ for everything_.

When the words leave his mouth as choked sobs he decides it's best to go back home before the tears blur his vision.

**.**

**.**

When he arrives home late that night from yet another Team 7 get together at Ichiraku's, he enters his parent's room for the first time in ten years. He's nineteen now.

At first he pretends not to see the dark stains plastered to the wood, but then he gives in and let's his gaze shift to the darkened spot in the middle of the room.

He hurries to the kitchen, collects all his cleaning supplies and then runs back to his parent's room. He rubs the floorboard until his hands are raw and bleeding and all the blood is absorbed in the sponge he's used to clean off the blood.

His hands are red, but he doesn't care. He is solely focused on cleaning off the blood, so when someone knocks on the front door down stairs he doesn't even notice.

He doesn't notice either when someone opens the door, calls his name.

"Sasuke-kun?"

He rubs and rubs until sweat has covered his brow and his eyes are mismatched again. He rubs harder, scratching and peeling of wood from the floorboard.

Sasuke doesn't look up from his work either when someone walks up the stair with feather like steps, hesitant and when Haruno Sakura sees Uchiha Sasuke rubbing his hands raw on the floorboard of his home she freezes dead still, a heated meal box in her hand – because she noticed that Sasuke hadn't eaten anything at Ichiraku's and she got worried. She places it on the ground then, hurries over to her teammate.

She wants to shake him out of his stupor, she want's to hold him and hug him and tell him that everything is okay, but she is _scared to death _for hurting Sasuke more than he is at the moment..

But when she comes closer and sees him, _actually_ sees him broken and hurt, all fear flies out of the window and she crushes him between the confines of her warm arms.

At first Sasuke thinks that he's woken up from a nightmare and his mother has taken him in warm, motherly embrace. That everything was just a horrible nightmare and everyone is still fine – the Uchiha are still fine. The silky tresses that tickle his shoulders even feel like hers; so beautiful and soft.

His fingers unclench their grip on the sponge and find their way to the silky tresses. They tangle in them, try to release this genjutsu or whatever it is because his mother is _deaddeaddead_ – everyone is – and there is no way she's here, hugging him, comforting him, saying his name and telling him that everything is okay because she's here now.

But either way he feels okay again. Because she is there.

_Sakura._

**.**

**.**

A blissful white blanket has calmly fallen over Konoha, removing all scars and faults, reducing the streets to pure white – a clean slate._ Snow._

It was Sakura's idea to go to the Winter Festival with Naruto and him. He doesn't want to go because he's never really loved going to festivals and being surrounded by hundreds of people and their horrible bodily smells.

He doesn't like people a whole lot.

It's a miracle he likes Sakura and Naruto as much as he does.

He has seen Sakura a few time after she found him in his parent's room. She doesn't talk about it but the warmer smiles she gives him – only him – calm him down and somehow he feels soothed by them.

Naruto has invited Hinata to go with them. Apparently in his absence the two fell for each other. Sakura says they're a couple, but Sasuke hasn't seen enough interaction between the two to really come to that conclusion. He doesn't care a lot, as long as Naruto is happy.

They meet at Sakura's home so they can leave for the festival together. Sasuke is early and as usual Naruto is late. When he knocks on the door Sakura calls out that the door is unlocked and he can come in.

He doesn't know whether to be angered or amused at the fact that she just leaves her door unlocked.

He walks in and realizes that it's the first time he's entered Sakura's apartment. She used to live at her parent's house when they were genin.

Her home is an exact reflection of Sakura: quirky, strange and an organized chaos.

The walls of her small hallway is full with crookedly hung up pictures of her and her friends. There's a few of her and Ino, about five of her and Naruto, two of Team 7 – one is their first picture as a team and the second one is a picture of the surprise dinner for his return. There are a few pictures of her with her parents and one with Sai.

It's like walking through a time-line of her life. Something aches in his heart when he only sees two out of the dozens with him included. He wants the collection to grow, with him in it more often.

Her living room is the 'organized chaos' part. There are papers in the strangest of places; under the couch, on top of a lamp, spread on the carpeted floor, on the dinner table. The room has a nice color to it; a light pink, almost white. The couch placed in the middle of the room looks leather-like and worn out, Sasuke thinks it looks nice.

There's a small dinner table and four seats. She has a small fireplace, but it's off. Contrary to the hallway, the living room has almost no pictures, except for a few above the fireplace.

"Sasuke-kun?" calls Sakura's voice from behind him.

He turns around quickly, a little bit ashamed for being caught looking at her pictures.

When he sees her though, he forgets about his shame and the pictures because Sakura looks absolutely _beautiful_.

He notices, now more than ever, how much she has grown since they were genin. Her hair, instead of being choppy and slightly uneven, is now smooth and soft and falls perfectly and evenly against her face. Her face too has changed; it's rounder, softer somehow. Her eyes are the only things that remain unchanged; still those bottomless pits of jade.

She is not a girl anymore, but a woman.

She is wearing a dress that makes her look like a fairy – like she came right out of those magical books his mother used to read him from. It's green and flowy and reaches her ankles and it makes her look _beautiful_.

He wonders what she thinks of him.

He knows that she still feels the same way about him – she'll always will. Her love is indestructible and endless. He feels guilty because he knows that he will never be able to return those feelings to her. He isn't strong enough to risk losing her if he did. He doesn't know whether he can survive losing more people he loves.

He doesn't even know what it feels like to be _in_ love with somebody. He's never felt that way about anyone in his life.

He only realizes that he has been starting when a vivid blush creeps up Sakura's face.

"You look beautiful," he says and even he is surprised that he's spoke the words. He doesn't regret the words though, because as soon as they are spoken Sakura's face lights up and something warm tugs at his heart strings.

Her eyes widen before they relax completely. Her mouth forms into a heartbreaking, beautiful smile.

"Thank you Sasuke-kun," she smiles, "you look very dashing yourself," she laughs lightly and Sasuke can't help himself but smile a crooked smile.

He wonders if everyone's ever fancied her, wonders why she is still alone because she deserves the best man in the world and goddamn he isn't even close to that.

When Naruto storms into her house the moment is gone and they leave for the festival.

Sasuke listens to Sakura when she speaks because he knows that it feels horrible to be ignored. He listens to her, looks at her from time to time to show her that he is listening.

They are not tense around each other, but relaxed and he likes that he doesn't have to be careful with what he says or does all the time.

He can even talk back sometimes.

He walks Sakura home. With a nod and a soft 'good night' they part.

When he goes home that night he is content. It doesn't take long for Sasuke to fall asleep.

In his dreams, all he sees are fully blossomed sakura trees.

**.**

**.**

It's Kakashi's birthday and as his former students, Sakura thinks it's our responsibility to organize a surprise party – Sasuke guesses that she loves to organize them since she's already set up about five in the few months he's back.

Naruto and Sasuke don't interject because secretly they agree with her, but are too prideful to say so.

They hire a restaurant – Sasuke pays since he's the loaded one – and tell Kakashi that they bought him a special edition of Icha Icha for his birthday.

For the first time in his life, Kakashi is on time.

Not only does he surprise himself, but also the rest of his friends who hadn't counted on him being on time. They are still hanging up the flags when he 'poofs' in.

Sakura mutters a pathetic and panicked 'SURPISE', but it doesn't really do the job of startling him – not that anything could startle Hatake Kakashi.

They spend most of the time sitting around the table, drinking, playing some (drinking) games and generally having a good time.

Sasuke, being the socially crippled guy that he is, sits at a table alone, watching with mild amusement how his drunken friends make fools out of themselves – all the while sipping on his glass of – you guessed it – water.

When Sakura joins him at the table, he doesn't object.

He appreciates her company. Unlike when she was twelve, she doesn't ramble a whole lot anymore. She knows when to keep quiet and listen and she knows when and how to lighten up a situation by saying something.

Her company is soothing.

A silence, not uncomfortable settles between the two of them.

When Sasuke turns his face to regard her, he finds her already watching him. She doesn't look away, blush and giggle like she might have done six – _six_! – years ago. Her eyes soften and she smiles at him, warmly.

He can't take his eyes off of her. So he doesn't.

"Do you want to dance, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke is, for the first time in his life, speechless because _Haruno Sakura_ just asked him to dance with her and he actually _wants to,_ but god he's _horrible_ at dancing. He's never even danced in his life as far as he remembers, and especially not with a girl.

Sasuke doesn't even know if he can dance.

Nonetheless, he wants to. He wants to dance with Haruno Sakura.

At his silence, Sakura's eyes lower. Disappointment and hurt are clearly painted on her beautiful features when she looks up again, but not in his eyes. She quickly masks it though, with a fake smile. Does Saskura really think she can fool him with that facade? If she does think so, then she doesn't know that Sasuke knows her better than she thinks he does.

"It's okay, just - I didn't - I'm not..." she sighs frustratedly and then she falls quiet for a few seconds. "It's okay if your don't want to, I just thought that you'd... I don't know." She looks at him, into his eyes and he can see her silently pleading to not reject her – _again._

He hates the discomfort on her face, so he looks away, at the people shuffling next to each other on the floor. Lee is dancing with Tenten - something Sasuke has to resist the urge for to raise his eyebrow - and Ino is dancing with Sakura's weird teammate.

In an earlier stage of his life he might have 'hn'ed or ignored Sakura and just looked away.

But he doesn't want to do that anymore - he doesn't want to hurt her. He's hurt her enough for hundreds of lifetimes.

He likes the warm feeling inside of his chest when she's happy or when she smiles - especially if it's by his doing. He wants to see her happy.

"Come on," he nudges vaguely towards the empty floor ahead of them. He stands up, all the while keeping his eyes on Haruno Sakura.

He loves how her eyes widen in utter disbelief and then her mouth explodes in the brightest of smiles he's ever seen on anybody. She even laughs lightly when he stands up and reaches for her hand.

"Really, Sasuke-kun?"

In his chest a pool of warmth explodes. "Yes, Sakura, really. Come on, before I change my mind."

Sakura, though ecstatic and halfway on her way to cloud nine, hurries to her feet and takes Sasuke's hand. "Sasuke-kun, if you don't want to y-"

"Shut up, Sakura," he sighs, almost rolls his eyes at her silly and insecure antics. Sakura smiles because she hears the teasing tone in his voice.

He doesn't want her to feel that way around him anymore; insecure and scared.

Once they reach the empty part of the floor, Sasuke slowly let's go of her hand and stands in front of her, unsure of what to do and suddenly a little insecure himself. Sakura notices his tense shoulders and the way his neck has gotten red.

She slowly, gently she takes his stiff and suddenly clammy hand. "Just relax, Sasuke-kun," she laughs softly. Not at him, but soothingly. Everything Sakura does seems to soothe him.

She places both his hands on her hips and loosely places her hands behind his neck.

He hopes, with all his heart, that the heat in his neck hasn't spread to his cheeks and that the stinging in his back is not from their friends' eyes watching them.

Together, the two of them sway gently to the slow music.

"Have you ever danced, Sasuke-kun?" she asks, a gentle smile on her face.

He shakes his head, very much aware of the feel of her curves beneath his skin and her hands slightly massaging the back of his neck. It helps him relax, helps him forget everything and everyone around them.

"Well, you're doing a really good job so far."

"You're just saying that to be nice."

"Oh – no, I'm not!" she says indignantly.

Sasuke smirks slightly.

After that it's silent.

Behind them, their friends are uncharacteristically quiet, too - though none of them notice that.

He doesn't know how exactly how long they've been swaying on the dance floor, bodies pressed so tightly against each other he feels her leg shift against him with every move she makes.

He only realizes how close they are when his forehead leans against hers and they look in each other's eyes. Her hand is playing with his raven locks, his have slightly hiked up, now on her waist.

And again, that _warmth_ – he feels like a volcano that erupted into a giant ball of lava.

She smiles brilliantly at him, and unknowingly he slightly smiles back.

Slowly her eyes shift from his to something behind him and Sasuke is a little bit disappointed at the fact that he couldn't hold her attention. "Oh my God!"

He frowns, before speaking. "What is it?"

"Kakashi!"

Sasuke turns his face enough so he can take a good look at his former sensei – _who isn't wearing his mask_.

His face is perfect and smooth, except for a small scar near the left corner of his mouth. His teeth are perfectly set and pearl white.

"They're too drunk to even notice!" Sakura laughs. "Remember when we spend a whole day trying to find out what was behind that mask?"

"Yeah. _Another mask_."

Sakura laughs and he feels something sputter in his stomach. "Don't be bitter Sasuke," she says, the ghost of a smile still on her lips. "Naruto'll freak out if he remembers in the morning."

"If," Sasuke stresses. They both know that Naruto's pretty hammered right now and will probably not remember a single thing in the morning.

But that's okay with him; then there's no way Naruto will annoy him about him dancing with Sakura.

When Sasuke turns back to Sakura, both of them drown in each other's company again.

He thinks it's a few minutes later when he hears Naruto's voice, calling obnoxiously, "TEME!"

The two of them look up, suddenly remembering that they're not alone.

When they turn around to face Naruto, they're a little bit startled to find only two people left sitting at the first so crowded table; Kakashi and Naruto.

"Areyouguysdone?" he slurs, barely able to hold himself vertical.

Sakura and Sasuke carry the two of them all the way to their beds. Sakura sets a glass of water and two aspirins on both their bedside tables.

Tonight when they part, they hug.

He dreams about kissing her.

**.**

**.**

It's a few weeks after Kakashi's birthday party when he gets a shocking, scary revelation.

He is lying in bed when he realizes it.

He is madly and irrevocably in love with Haruno Sakura.

The notion has been lingering in the back of his mind for quite some time now, but he never took the time to analyze it nor to acknowledge it. Because he _doesn't fall in love_ – _Uchiha Sasuke_ doesn't _fall. In. Love_.

And yet he did.

It has been such a long time ago that he's even felt love, he doesn't know what to expect anymore.

What does it feel like?

Is love wanting to protect a person that means everything to you? Someone precious who you set as a priority in your love? Someone who's happiness you put before your own? Someone who's pain you put before your own?

Is love feeling warmth in the pit of your stomach when you see this special person?

Is love wanting to thrust your body in front of something that may inflict them pain?

Is love wanting to burden all their hate and pain on yourself so that they may never feel it?

If that is love, then perhaps he is in love.

He loves her in that, special, endless, warm, terrifyingly beautiful way.

And he is _sososo_ afraid, because the people he has loved in his life either ended up dead or with one arm.

He doesn't want that to happen to her.

To him she's kind of like a beacon of hope and love and warmth and smiles and understanding.

Naruto and he might be the sun and moon but Sakura is the stars.

She is the sunny, full, shiny, warm, stars in the nighttime sky, and he? He is the ghostly, empty, dark, cold spaces in between.

She is the stars that guide him home everytime he slips back in darkness.

He wonders how he fell in love with her.

Then he realizes: how _couldn't _he have fallen in love with her.

**.**

**.**

It all started when this one time they were supposed to spar with Team 7, and Sakura didn't show up. Kakashi told him to go and get her from her office in the hospital.

She's been spending an awful lot of time in that office lately. Something about Tsunade being extra busy and her and Shizune helping her out. Rumor goes that Tsunade's about to pass the hat to someone else and is trying to finish as much work as possible.

Kakashi will probably become the Sixth Hokage, but he isn't sure.

So ever since that first day when he found her fast asleep with her head on her papers, he's been having lunch with her and takes her home every night. If he doesn't do that, she'll skip her meals and work for hours on end.

Right now he is on his way to her office.

He likes to spend time with her.

Now that he knows what he feels for her and isn't pushing those feelings away, he feels at peace, more so than he has felt in a very long time.

For the longest of times he felt conflicted about his feelings for Sakura, but now he knows that... he_ loves_ her.

And he likes to be with her and he wants to be with every second of the day and while part of him wants that so very much, another part of his is scared for rejection.

He doesn't deserve her and he'll probably never will.

Sometimes, when they're eating and she's chatting away and smiling, he feels guilty.

Guilty because he's forced her and Naruto through so much.

And yet, after everything, they still love him as if he's never left.

Sometimes he feels like they truly understand him, and that is why they've forgiven him.

Every time he sees her, every time she smiles to him and he smiles back, every time they talk, he falls in love with her more and more.

**.**

**.**

It's March twenty-eight.

Today is Sakura's twentieth birthday.

And he has no idea what to get her.

He's been thinking about a potential present for quite some time, but he hasn't found a present worthy of Sakura, yet.

He wants to give something timeless, irreplaceable and unforgettable.

He is so desperate he even asks Ino.

She tells him to wrap himself up and place himself at her doorstep.

Needless to say, Ino was not much help.

He even went as far as to ask Naruto - _Naruto_! - for ideas, a few days back..

He wasn't much help either.

Naruto only told him of _his _present. His ideal present consists of a year's worth of ramen coupons.

When Sasuke told him that Sakura didn't like ramen that much Naruto shrugged and smiled.

"I know," he had said, "so she'll probably give them back to me - everyone wins!"

The idiot.

So here Sasuke is, walking in Konoha's busiest street, looking for a present.

And then...

He sees it.

Well, not it-_it_, but something that gives him a perfect birthday idea.

The Icha Icha book that gives him the revelation sits perfectly on a shelf at one of many of Konoha's bookstores.

He almost feels dirty at the fact that it took Kakashi beloved _porn _to come up with a birthday gift.

But this gift...

It's something she would want, right? He wants it - he really does. So much that it makes him almost excited.

Sakura will not have a surprise party, instead the party is being held at Ino's because Sakura had admitted to not wanting to clean everything afterward - and with Sakura's friends there would be _a lot _to clean after.

As he walks to Sakura's house, Sasuke finds himself growing more nervous and nervous.

The last time he was nervous was before his battle to the death with Itachi.

This nervousness is whole lot different than that time. This is a good nervousness; almost giddy and happy.

Before he even knocks on the door, it flies open and reveals Sakura hurrying back into her house and managing a happy 'Hey Sasuke-kun!'

He smirks in amusement when Sakura rummages through the organized chaos that is her living room, looking for something.

"What are you looking for?"

"My other earring... I left it here before I opened the do – _gahh_, god where is it!?" She says through clenched teeth. She looks seconds away from tearing her beautiful hair out.

Sasuke sighs, secretly still amused by her antics, and helps her search for her earring. He first walks over to her to examine how it looks.

It's one of those long, diamondy earrings his mother used to wear to formal occasions. Sakura's are not too long though; barely reaching halfway her neck.

She tightens the sash of her bathrobe as she searches under the couch, almost making Sasuke laugh.

Sasuke pulls back the chakra suppressing his eye-power and activates both his Sharingan and the purple Rinnegan.

After having lived in such a long time of peace, he has almost forgotten what it is like to see through his Sharingan.

With his enhanced vision it takes him a total of three seconds to spot Sakura's earring.

When he spots the lost object tangled in Sakura's sash, Sasuke laughs.

He laughs that breathless, rich, almost-tears-in-your-eyes laugh and all Sakura can do is watch him, open mouthed because in the seven years that she's known Sasuke she's never seen him laugh like that.

It partly saddens her and it brings great joy and pride to her hearts because he's laughing because of _her_.

"What, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura says, smiling broadly – his laugh is contagious.

As his laugh dies down in silent chuckles he grabs Sakura's sash and holds it up for her to see.

Her cheeks redden instantly when she spots her earring tangled in its fabric. "Oh my God – I'm such an _idiot_!" She cups her warm cheeks, either to hide the blush or to cool it down, he doesn't know.

She still smiles as she thanks him and takes the earring from her sash, their hands brushing as she does so.

Her touch elites a minefield of warmth of his skin, which spreads like crackling electricity through his whole body.

She excuses herself and hurries back to her room to finish her look. "I won't take long, Sasuke-kun!"

He wants to say that even if it takes her a lifetime, he'd wait. But he doesn't dare to so so, afraid she'll reject it.

Few minutes later she comes out, more beautiful than anything he'd ever seen.

She's wearing a similar kind of dress to the one she wore at the Winter Festival, only this one is not as formal or tall, and a light pink, almost beige color.

The dress is tight around her chest area and waist, with some kind of white lace embedded around the whole upper part. From the waist down the dress is flowy, overflowing, light and laceless.

Sasuke's eyes aren't focused on her clothing anymore, but on her face, radiating and shining like the brightest star.

Suddenly he feels underdressed with his black slacks and white button up.

"Is it good?" she asks him, hesitantly, looking down to her dress and then up to him again.

He wants to say that she looks amazing and that she's beautiful, but all he manages to do is swallow thickly and nod while all the while keeping his eyes glued to her petite form.

"Really? I feel like it's – I don't know." She walks over to him, touches the fabric of her dress uncertainly. "Is the sweetheart neckline too much?" She says so very softly that Sasuke barely catches it.

"What?"

"The sw - the neckline, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke feels a little guilty about eying her up and down, the way he is doing now, but he can't himself. She's pretty, kind, beautiful, glowing, she's _everything._

She starts fidgeting with the waist of the dress, expanding it, readjusting it around her skin. Sasuke only wonders if everyone's ever told her that she's beautiful and that she doesn't have to worry about how he looks; she'll always look perfect.

Instead he says, "It's fine Sakura," and firmly places both his hands on her around her waist to stop her from fidgeting any further.

She looks up in his eyes, sighs before she relaxes. "You're right."

"I know," he smirks when Sakura averts her eyes and smiles, bites her lower lip.

When Sasuke feels the back of his neck get hot he let's go of Sakura and tells her they should leave if they don't want to be late.

The whole way to Ino's house, Sakura tells Sasuke about a new treatment she came up with to exterminate poisons.

Sasuke knows, from knowledge acquired while living with Orochimaru, that if there's one thing really hard in medic ninjutsu, it's healing someone from a poison.

So he listens to her, all the way to Ino's house.

When Ino opens the door for them her eyes widen slightly before a sly smile creeps it's way to her face. "Hey Sakura... _Sasuke_."

Sasuke tries to be a little less socially awkward at the party – he really does.

He even joins the other at the table – even though it's only because Sakura pushed him to and promised she'll stay by his side.

He knows, from the smiles and laughs, that everyone enjoys the party and he does too, quietly, because Sakura is happy.

They leave when the birds are up.

He walks her all the way home and when they stand in front of her door he realizes that it's now or never – her present.

He looks down to her and finds her already looking up.

His heart is beating furiously against his ribcage and his chest feels searing hot, hotter than all his fire jutsus combined.

He leans down and for a fraction of a second he sees Sakura's eyes widen before she stands on her toes to close the distance between them. Just as his eyes slip closed, hers do, too.

And when his lips meet hers he _knows _that he could live a thousand lifetimes and never forget the taste of her love.

He knows that he could travel the whole world again and again, visit every place there was to see, kiss every girl that crossed his path, and _nothingnothingnothing _would ever compare to that moment of impact when he kissed the girl he loved, for the very first time.

At first he feels her hesitance; she is unresponsive. But when she kisses back, when he feels her lips move against his, moist and soft and better than any dream he's ever had about this moment, he knows that for the first time in a decade he's _happy_.

Her soft, small hands hold his cold cheek, his hands rest on her waist and he wants this moment to last forever.

The person he loves, loves him back and that feeling is the best in the world.

When they're out of breath they pull away for a split second before reuniting their lips again with all the crammed up passion and love they own.

Sakura's hands tangle in his silky hair and his hands roam her sides up and down, but never straying too far.

The second time they pull apart their lips are almost swollen, hearts thumping loudly against their flesh.

With moments like these you can never really say how things will go and how it will end. The ripples it spreads are unpredictable and they don't always have the wished consequences. But that's the thing isn't it, with these moments?

Sometimes these moments mold things together, making them far more closer than before.

Sometimes these moments rip apart and send pieces off into places where you've never thought you'd find them.

Life rarely goes the way you want it go – it doesn't stick to a plan – and that's okay as long as they can be together.

She leans her forehead against his, looks right into his eyes.

She smiles and he smiles too.

"Happy birthday, Sakura."

**.**

**.**

Naruto walks in on them one time when Sasuke is kissing Sakura downstairs of her home while Naruto is peeing – they thought – upstairs.

"ABOUT FREAKING TIME!" he screams.

And that's how whole Konoha finds out about them in the time span of four hours.

It makes everything much easier though.

They don't have to hide it anymore – not that they went about kissing everywhere in public, no. But now they can walk around, hand in hand, without having _too much_ people look.

**.**

**.**

Almost a year after their first kiss they make love for the first time.

They're not drunk and it's not after an argument.

They are lying on the couch, Sasuke's head in Sakura lap and they're talking about the movie they're watching – more particularly about the_ love_ in the movie.

"He's a dick," says Sasuke about the lying and cheating husband.

"Yeah, but she loves him."

"She should leave him."

"Sasuke-kun, you can't just leave someone you love especially not your first love!"

"She should, he's a dick."

Sakura sighs and absentmindedly she starts pulling on Sasuke's hair, not very hard though. "The first time you fall in love it changes you forever and no matter how hard you try, that feeling just never really goes away."

"But he doesn't deserve her!" Sasuke says, his voice the loudest she's ever heard.

Suddenly it's not about the movie anymore.

"He went and hurt her while she loved him all the time – he doesn't deserve her." She's never heard him speak as soft as when he speaks the last sentence. His eyes soften too. He lowers them as if ashamed.

Her pulling molds into soft caressing. "Love isn't logical, Sasuke-kun. Love doesn't go by who deserves who and who doesn't deserve who – that isn't how love works. You just _fall_ in love and there's nothing you can do about that."

"But love's supposed to be good and not full of pain and – it shouldn't – I mean... - you shouldn't have gone through that and..."

"Love isn't always sunshine and rainbows and ice cream, Sasuke-kun," she says, "sometimes it's tears and pain and hurt and fighting, but you know what? Love that endures the most hardship is the best, and after everything, it becomes good and beautiful and warm and everything that love is supposed to be."

He listens to her every word and as she speaks he feels himself falling in love with her over and over and over again.

That's the night they make love to each other, when their bodies move together in the same rhythm and they see and feel each other in the most intimate of ways.

**.**

**.**

The walls in her hallway are filled with pictures of the two of them; dancing together, eating together, on the Winter Festival together, home together, _just together._

And as he kisses her on the shoulder, his arm draped lazily around her waist, he realizes that he is happy, truly happy.

In his life he has been loved.

And not just by anyone – but by Haruno Sakura. And that, is the epitome of his happiness.

**.**

**.**

* * *

><p>You know when you have an idea in your head and you just have to write it, and so you puke out thousands of words in one writing session? Yeah, I do, too. This is an idea that has been stuck in my head for a really long time, so I really had to just write it, and I decided to post it. Don't ask my why, because I'm not really happy with it, but whatever.. I enjoyed writing it though, and I hope you enjoyed reading it! For those who haven't noticed; Thinking Out Loud, by Ed Sheeran was my inspiration while writing this - the song's amazing!<p>

Much love,

xoxo!


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